![Telephone operators wearing masks, High River, Alberta [ca. 1918-1919].](https://i0.wp.com/www.unwrittenhistories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/52348516_300632070651733_4016322243175907328_n.jpg?resize=676%2C397)
Telephone operators wearing masks, High River, Alberta [ca. 1918-1919]. Courtesy of the Glenbow Archives
If you’ve been reading the roundup for a while, you are likely aware of Neil Orford and Blake Heathcote’s project, Defining Moments Canada. Defining Moments Canada is a digital storytelling platform dedicated to the development of crowd-sourced commemorative projects on a range of subjects. As part of this project, Defining Moments is working to empower Canadians to tell their own stories within their communities by providing them with the resources to do so. Not only does the website provide information on telling compelling and effective stories as well as advice on conducting reliable online research, but it also provides explanatory essays, images, and lesson plans on select topics to enhance and enrich these stories. As of this moment, Defining Moments Canada is completing their collection of material on the Spanish Flu pandemic, and beginning work on the 75th anniversary of the landing at Juno Beach.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Spanish Flu pandemic, also known known as the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, this term refers to the influenza pandemic that swept the globe between January 1918 and December 1920. Current estimates suggest that around 500 million people caught the disease, and somewhere between 50 to 100 million people died of it, which is equivalent to roughly three to five percent of the global population. While influenza was not a new disease at the time, the strain that caused the pandemic (H1N1) was particularly deadly and particularly virulent. It also disproportionately affected previously health young adults. For those of you who are (or were) Twilight fans, this was what killed Edward Cullen the first time around. And yes, I do teach the pandemic by making this reference.
Esther Deborah Eidinger’s headstone. Beth Israel Ohev Sholom Cemetery, Quebec City. The headstone says: Esther Deborah Eidinger, sister of Rita 27 Tishri 5679 [October 2, 1918] [Daughter of Mendel Eidinger and Etta Assh]
Although few of us remember the Spanish flu pandemic, many of us have relatives and ancestors who were affected by it. That includes my family. My grandfather’s sister, Esther Deborah Eidinger, was just six years old when she died of the flu in his arms.
While I was looking for the picture of the headstone, several mysteries emerged. First of all, who is Rita? Some further research revealed that she was another of my grandfather’s sisters, born July 16, 1924, who died, aged nine, on December 3, 1933. The second question/mystery: Why would her name be on her sister’s headstone, when she was born long after Esther had died? I called my dad to ask him about this, and he was insistent that there was no way that Esther didn’t have a headstone until after Rita died. So either there were two Ritas or Esther’s headstone was replaced. He didn’t know. And the third mystery: The 2000 survey of the cemetery, Le cimetière juif de Québec: Beth Israël Ohev Sholom, added a curious line under Rita’s entry: “fut inscrite sous le nom de Shoeva Rachel” (p. 12). In English that reads as: “was inscribed under the name Shoeva Rachel.” Not only do I have no clue what this means (what was inscribed? The headstone? Her birth or death records?), but I also do not have any idea what “Shoeva” means. Google only tells me that “Shoeva” is the name of a Zionist settlement in central Israel that was established in 1950. Thanks, Google. If any of you know the answer, please let me know in the comments below!
But the reason that I am sharing this story is that Defining Moments Canada is hosting a contest for high school and university students, as well as museums and local heritage groups to submit a compelling story about the Spanish Flu Pandemic. I’ve attached the call below, written by Jessica Knapp!
What is Defining Moments Canada?
Defining Moments Canada is a digital commemoration and educational platform that promotes storytelling techniques, scholarly research, and digital imagery to enable Canadians to tell microhistories about the moments that have defined Canada. Its mission is to engage all Canadians in unique interdisciplinary research to communicate these stories using digital media to produce innovative projects on specific themes.
Defining Moments Canada is a collaborative initiative intended to inspire and support crowd-sourced digital commemorations. The organizers, Neil Orford and Blake Heathcote, wanted to bridge the gap between how Canada’s history has been taught and commemorated with today’s digital tools and storytelling skills.
Their first project commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Flu Pandemic in Canada.This innovative project is for students, teachers, museums, and community partners.
What is the Recovering Canada contest?
The Spanish Flu changed Canada, and yet it has been all but overlooked or forgotten. Defining Moments Canada wants you to join them in finding stories about the people and communities who were impacted by the Pandemic, as well as the many folks who responded to the challenges of the Pandemic.
Defining Moments Canada is hosting a national contest called Recovering Canada. There are four categories: High School, Museum, University and Local Heritage Group. The following information is specifically for university professors, students, and all other faculty within this setting who are interested in participating. (You can read more about the other categories on the Defining Moments website, under the Eligibility and Rules & Regulations section.)
The deadline to submit your project is April 10, 2019.
So, what do you and your students have to do?
In a digital medium of your choosing, use evidence to tell a compelling story for a specific audience (historical, geographic, mathematical, scientific, etc.) in response to this question: As a defining moment in Canadian history, did the Spanish Flu Pandemic contribute to creating a more liveable society for all people in Canada?
How to get started and submit your project?
If you are thinking about participating in this contest it is recommended that you register here. By registering you will receive access to premium resources that you and your students can choose to consult during the research phase of your project. You will also find the assessment rubric and digital media inspiration there!
Only one group member is expected to submit the project. This person should submit the link to their final work as well as a text document containing all the text and/or scripts presented in the digital project. Regardless of the digital medium selected, the total text, written or spoken, should not exceed 2,000 words, and a digital project should not exceed 5 minutes in performance duration.
The text for each submission should be presented in a Word or PDF document in standard 8.5 by 11 inches (letter) size and portrait orientation. Please use a regular business font such as Times New Roman or Arial at 12-point size.
In all cases, the submission should demonstrate rigorous attention to interdisciplinary research, analysis, knowledge of the topic, and critical thinking skills. Participants must include footnotes and/or a bibliography of relevant referenced works. Footnotes/endnotes/ bibliographies do not count towards the word count. All submissions must include proper citations following a consistent style. The suggested citation method for footnotes and endnotes is the Chicago Manual of Style. Guidelines on the style are available here.
And don’t forget: The deadline to submit your project is April 10, 2019.
Why should you and your students participate?
First off, why not? Second, this is a great way to engage your students with commemoration initiatives happening in Canada. We can criticize commemorative efforts from the past all day, but can your students stand up to the challenge themselves? And third, there is a prize for each category. For high school students and heritage groups, Defining Moments and I Boost Immunity and KidsBoost Immunity will donate 249 doses (a full pack) of tetanus vaccines through UNICEF in the winner’s name.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Jessica Knapp or Neil Orford.
Well, this blog post certainly took an unexpected turn for me personally. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, and/or know someone who might be interested in this contest, please consider sharing it on the social media platform of your choice! And don’t forget to check back on Friday for Stephanie’s regular look at upcoming publications in Canadian history. See you then!
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